A House committee voted Thursday to hold Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress, as Republicans escalated their bid to "get to the bottom" of the former IRS official's role in the political targeting scandal.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted 21-12 to hold Lerner in contempt. The party-line vote followed hours of heated debate on the committee.

The contempt measure heads next to the House floor. House Speaker John Boehner predicted earlier this week that unless Lerner agrees to cooperate, the full House will support contempt -- from there, the case would likely head to the courts.

"This is not an action I take lightly," House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said before the vote. But he said lawmakers "need Ms. Lerner's testimony to complete our oversight work and bring truth to the American people."

The vote comes a day after the House Ways and Means Committee voted to refer Lerner's case to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, the committee claimed Lerner may have violated "one or more criminal statutes." The Department of Justice is not obligated to take up the committee's request.

Both committee actions divided Republicans and Democrats, who have decried the steps against Lerner as unwarranted and political.

Democrats argue that Lerner properly invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to testify last year, and again last month.

"Guilty or innocent, Ms. Lerner has a constitutional right to remain silent on this issue," Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said. Further, she said if the committee were truly serious about pursuing this case, they would offer Lerner immunity.

Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., said the case would "be laughed out of court."

But Republicans, in bringing up the contempt measure, claim Lerner waived her Fifth...

These people—Obama & Co.—like to have it both ways: here this 32 year veteran federal political hack started running her mouth telling her story, then when her string and the little plastic ring wound up again into her back she wanted to clam up. She was called to testify so we could find out what happened here.
If a witness herself elects to waive her privilege of self-incrimination and discloses her criminal connections, she is not permitted to stop, but must go on and make a full disclosure. In other words, a party like Lerner who voluntarily takes the witness stand in her own behalf waives the privilege against compulsory self-incrimination.
This is typical hubris/arrogance from the `hope and change’ gang. Now she’s hoisted ... and the `pubs will make her run a feather pillow gauntlet.

If the House of Representatives votes to hold her in criminal contempt, the contempt citation is referred to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for prosecution. However the U.S. Attorney is a left wing Democrat appointed by Barack Obama (as are all 93 U.S. Attorneys Obama appointees).
The U.S. Attorney can refer the contempt citation to a Grand Jury and the penalties, if convicted, can be one month to one year imprisonment and a fine of $100 to $1000.

Eric WithHolder will not prosecute IRS Gangster Lois Lerner, of course, and even if he did, Barack Al-Obama would likely pardon her for her Federal crimes. But, can she be prosecuted in any STATE courts??

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s purpose is to investigate abuses, etc., BY GOVERNMENT.

Questions for Issa to pursue:
1) By what authority did Cummings use taxpayer-funded Committee staff to investigate the internal operations of a private group, which was not then involved otherwise in matter before the Committee?
2) If Cummings claims it was “official business”, he must explain exactly what, and why it was kept secret.

Surely Cummings actions were illegal, and a violation of House rules. Issa is milking this for political points, but I want formal charges for specific violations.

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